Organisers make key changes for StanChart Nairobi Marathon

This year’s Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon due for Sunday will now start along Processional Way in Uhuru Park and not along Haile Selassie Avenue opposite Railway Club as had been announced.

Organisers have made the change for logistical reasons. At the same time, organisers of the race have said that contestants will continue registering for the competition by paying an entry fee of Sh2,000 even after October 15 instead of Sh2,500.

Earlier, organisers had said that registration for the race, which is ongoing online (through www.sc.com/ke/Nairobimarathon), would be done at a fee of Sh2,000 until October 15 when it would be increased to Sh2,500. Deadline for registration is Saturday.

Chairman of the 2018 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee, Peter Gitau, Monday disclosed that the full marathon (42km), half marathon (21km) and wheelchair (21km) races will start Uhuru Park’s Processional Way before athletes head to Haile Selassie Avenue towards Uhuru Highway round-about.

Gitau explained that the 10km races and Family Run will start along Uhuru Highway, but all the races will end at Uhuru Park’s processional.

“We want to erase the challenges faced when the races started along Haile Selassie Avenue. Remember the starting points changed from Nyayo National Stadium last year,” said Gitau.

Nyayo National Stadium is still under renovation.

Close to 16,000 participants had registered for various races as at Monday, with a huge number expected by Friday.

Among those who had entered the event is Kenya’s Valary Ayaibei, who is back to defend her Half Marathon (21km) title.

Ayaibei is from winning Beijing Marathon on September 16, where she lived up to expectations, clocking 2hours, 21minutes and 38 seconds to become the first Kenyan woman to win in the Chinese capital city.

Last year, Ayaibei, clocked 1 hour, 11 minutes and 04 seconds to win the Half Marathon. Seasoned long distance runners Eunice Chebet and Naomi Jepkorir Kipsanai have also confirmed participation in the women’s race.

Ayaibei had started the year with a second place finish at Nagoya Marathon in 2:22:48 in Japan on March 11, before finishing second at Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon in 1:10:11 in the same country.

Julius Kipyego Keter, who finished second at Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon last year, and Edinburgh Marathon champion Julius Kiplagat Korir will grace men’s marathon.

Keter, who is yet to compete this year, won the Mérida Marathon in Mexico in January last year in 2:21:22, before finishing second in Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon in 2:10:34 a month later.

Keter, who has personal best would then settle second again at Santiago de Chile Marathon in personal best 2:09:55 in April while Korir, who won Edinburgh Marathon in 2:17:13 last year, is fresh from claiming victory at Las Palmas Gran Canaria Marathon in 2:18:14 in Spain.

Organisers are targeting to raise Sh60m from an entry of between 25,000 to 30,000 participants, having raised Sh40 million for the Seeing is Believing initiative last year.